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Saxby Smart, Private Detective #2
The Treasure of Dead Man's Lane and Other Case Files
PUT ON YOUR DETECTIVE HAT . . . TAKE OUT YOUR MAGNIFYING GLASS. The Saxby
series lets readers solve the case!
Using wit, logic, and the help of his friends, young detective Saxby Smart is back to work, recovering a valuable comic book, searching for hidden treasure, and keeping intruders out of the neighborhood. Saxby records the facts for three new cases in his notebook, laying out all the clues readers need to solve the mysteries on their own.
series lets readers solve the case!
Using wit, logic, and the help of his friends, young detective Saxby Smart is back to work, recovering a valuable comic book, searching for hidden treasure, and keeping intruders out of the neighborhood. Saxby records the facts for three new cases in his notebook, laying out all the clues readers need to solve the mysteries on their own.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published February 25, 2008
2 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 24, 2021
I felt like the book was a little confusing. Cause the way they said it and like the clues and solution's like how was I supposed to know what they think if I am not them? It was still pretty nice though not 5 out of 5 for me
June 8, 2014
I read this book with my 9-year-old son. I wish that half stars were an option because I would give it three and a half stars rather than just three. The concept of Saxby Smart is similar to the older Encyclopedia Brown books, except that Saxby seems a little more street savvy than Encyclopedia. This book includes three case files for Saxby Smart, Private Detective. Zaxby sets up shop in his shed and handles mysteries that people bring to him. The mysteries in this book includes a search for a stolen comic book worth $100,000; an attempt to look for a long lost treasure from a map; and an attempt to find out who is targeting Miss Bennett's class at school.
The book uses the Socratic method, delving with readers into mysteries although some of the questions are not entirely obvious given the information available in the text, which is what brings the rating of this book down a bit for me. Also, Saxby is a bit of a contradiction because he mentioned being a poor student although he has excellent analytical skills. I could not quite reconcile those two character descriptions very easily. On a good note, and one that I think makes this series worth reading, is that the mysteries are interesting. I found myself as impatient to find out the answer as much as my son was, and I believe a text that can incite that feeling, especially for boy readers who are left out of so much mainstream children's literature, makes this series a good choice for a fun read.
The book uses the Socratic method, delving with readers into mysteries although some of the questions are not entirely obvious given the information available in the text, which is what brings the rating of this book down a bit for me. Also, Saxby is a bit of a contradiction because he mentioned being a poor student although he has excellent analytical skills. I could not quite reconcile those two character descriptions very easily. On a good note, and one that I think makes this series worth reading, is that the mysteries are interesting. I found myself as impatient to find out the answer as much as my son was, and I believe a text that can incite that feeling, especially for boy readers who are left out of so much mainstream children's literature, makes this series a good choice for a fun read.
August 10, 2010
A stolen comic book? A long lost treasure? A rash of home invasions? Never fear, Saxby Smart, a young detective is on the case! In the three “case files” Saxby finds clues and solves these mysteries. A neat aspect is that the reader is asked to solve mini-mysteries within the mysteries, i.e. “…Can you see it too?” or “Thinking back on my meeting…can you deduce what these two examples were?” This keeps the reader engaged in the mysteries. There are a few black and white sketches as well as pages from Saxby’s notebook listing vital questions, conclusions, important points, facts, possibilities, connections and problems. A solid addition to a mystery collection. Received a starred review from Booklist.
August 29, 2011
Saxby Smart is back with three new cases, perfect for engaging tween boys who are reluctant readers. Each book in the series has three separate cases, which helps... (click for full review http://www.storysnoops.com/detail.php...)
September 8, 2013
I enjoyed this - I like the idea of taking the detective genre into short chapter books for beginner readers. I think a lot of children would get hooked by the questions asked as you go along. Good work Mr Cheshire!
October 10, 2010
Saxby is not as brainy as some boy detectives, but he has a lot of common sense and a nose for fishiness. Fun to read, and much more approachable than some of Encyclopedia Brown's cases.
July 24, 2010
No review.
April 9, 2016
Good one to me.
April 26, 2015
I love this book and I got all the questions right! When I'm older I want to become a detective or a police officer!
August 16, 2016
Well, the fact that the culprit is related to Harry Lovecraft is not surprising. Why not?
August 7, 2010
I liked this book but I feel the case's should of been longer. But other wise great book!
March 14, 2011
A good read alike for fans of Encyclopedia Brown.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews